ON AIR: Ssaagala AgalamiddePresenter: D Kasasa / B Lubega / S Mumanya

BUNYORO LEADERS WORRIED OF UNREGULATED ENCROACHERS

By Ben Musanje

Bunyoro Kingdom officials have expressed concern before the Land Commission of Inquiry with much fear that once government fails to come up with resettlement policies, many indigenous Banyoro will be displaced by foreigners.

Led by the Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom Premier Norman Nkumu, the officials say a big number of refugees from South Sudan and Democratic Republic of Congo have now left the camps and encroached on the large pieces of land for the Kingdom without any authorization.

Historically, Bunyoro Kingdom had vast areas of unoccupied land and government (pre and post colonial) has since created settlement for refugees especially from Rwanda, migrants from Kigezi and internally displaced people.

However, the Kingdom Prime Minister told the commission that upon settlement of these groups of people, the rightful occupants of the land were displaced and no compensation was given.

He hinted on the fact that the foreign settlers are deliberately organizing themselves to dominate political leadership against the dwindling indigenes.

Nkumu further accused National Forests Authority (NFA) for encroaching on the kingdom forests and frustrating its efforts to carry out economic activities on part of the Bugoma forest which was planted by Bunyoro.

Meanwhile, the Kingdom’s Attorney General Robert Irumba suggests that the 1900 agreement on land for Kibale be nullified and Bunyoro be compensated by government with all the grabbed land by the foreigners.